Jack BUCKNER

Jack Buckner had shown considerable promise as middle-distance runner while in the junior ranks, with a best time of 3min 45.5sec over 1500m recorded in June 1980. Although Jack continued to improve, running a career best time for the mile of 3min 51.57sec in August 1984, he was unable to progress to an internationally competitive level in the middle distances. This all changed however, when Buckner moved up to the 5000m, where he quickly established himself on the international scene. Buckner's first major international championships was the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, where, in the 5000m final held on 31 July, Buckner finished second to compatriot Steve Ovett in a time of 13min 25.87sec, with fellow countryman Tim Hutchings finishing third to complete a clean sweep for England.

Performing well amongst the Commonwealth nations was a very notable achievement, but the competition at the European Championships to be held the following month in Stuttgart would prove to be a much more formidable proposition. As an indication, in the 5000m at the Weltklasse meet in Zurich on 13 August, Buckner finished 5th in a personal best of 13min 16.49sec behind four other European athletes. At Stuttgart on 31 August, the same British trio of Ovett, Buckner, and Hutchings, attempted to repeat the clean sweep in the 5000m which they achieved at the Commonwealth Games. The 5000m final in Stuttgart was run at a very fast pace, and although Ovett dropped out at 3000m due to illness, Buckner caused a major surprise, speeding through the last lap in 56.22sec to win the gold medal (see photo above) in a personal best and championship record time of 13min 10.15sec. In the process, Buckner defeated all four runners who he had followed home in Zurich earlier in the month. (Ron Casey)

After his victory in the 5000m at the 1986 European Championships in Stuttgart, Jack Buckner's next big challenge was the 1987 World Championships in Rome. In his preparation for Rome, Buckner comprehensively beat an international field in the 5000m at the Weltklasse meet in Zurich on 19 August, finishing in the year's second fastest time of 13min 10.48sec, and only narrowly (0.33sec) missing his personal best set at the previous year's European Championships.

The 5000m final at Rome, held on 6 September, was run at a fairly slow pace, with the first kilometre covered in a dawdling 2min 50.0sec. The tempo increased only marginally in the second kilometre, and consequently with 9 laps remaining, the field was still tightly bunched with Buckner (see photo above, No. 418 - 6th September 1987 photo G.H. ©) in a prominent position. The final result was determined during a frantic dash in the last lap, where the fast finishing Buckner claimed the bronze medal, only narrowly missing the silver. The following year he competed at his first Olympic Games in Seoul, where he finished 6th in the 5000m final.

In 1989, Buckner finished 2nd in the European Cup, and then 4th in the World Cup over 5000m. Unfortunately, in the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland on 1 February, Buckner was involved in a fall after two laps, and finished a disappointing 12th. He did not compete during the remainder of 1990, and his best time in 1991 was only 13min 44.54sec. In 1992, Jack seemed to be back in top form, clocking 13min 10.47sec at Rome on 9 June, which was only 0.32sec slower than his career-best time set six years earlier. However, at the Olympic Games in Barcelona two months later he was eliminated in the heats, effectively bringing an end to his career. (Ron Casey)